Poinsettia plant named ‘PER11403’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER11403’, characterized by its uniform, compact, upright and mounded plant habit; strong stems; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts; early-season flowering; natural season flower maturity date is late November for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER11403’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘PER11403’.

The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of theEuphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 7,825. The cultivar PER11403 was discovered and selected by theInventor as a flowering plant within a population of plants of theparent cultivar in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif., onDec. 1, 2003. The new Poinsettia was selected on the basis of its earlyflowering habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttingspropagated in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif., sinceJanuary, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettiaare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations ofasexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘PER11403’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘PER11403’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Strong stems.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts.    -   5. Early-season flowering; natural season flower maturity date        is late November for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.    -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ from plants of the parent, thecultivar 490, primarily in time to flower as plants of the cultivar 490flower about 10 days later than plants of the new Poinsettia.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivarBright Red Freedom, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,572. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of thenew Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Bright Red Freedomin the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about two weeks earlier        than plants of the cultivar Bright Red Freedom.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker red-colored flower        bracts than plants of the cultivar Bright Red Freedom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER11403’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top left of the sheet is a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘PER11403’.

The photograph at the top right of the sheet is a top perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘PER11403’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif. during thewinter under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhousewith day temperatures averaging about 24° C., night temperaturesaveraging about 19° C. and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Singleplants were grown in 16.5-cm pots and pinched once. Plants were floweredunder natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about19 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and the detailedbotanical description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar    PER11403.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia    pulcherrima Willd. cultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.    7,825.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20° C. to 22° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—About four weeks at 20° C. to 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white, close to 155D, in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Growth habit.—Upright, compact, uniform and mounded plant            habit; inverted triangle. Moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 44 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: About sic lateral            branches develop after pinching. Length: About 20 cm.            Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 2.3 cm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:            About 12 cm. Width: About 10 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:            Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire with irregular            lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface:            Glabrous, smooth. Texture, lower surface: Slightly            pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A; venation, 147A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: More gray than 147A;            venation, 148A. Petiole: Length: About 8.2 cm. Diameter:            About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth;            glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 187B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the            cyathia. One inflorescence per lateral branch. Flowers are            not fragrant. Flowers persistent.        -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern            Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced            under long nyctoperiod conditions. Early-season flowering,            response time, about seven weeks; natural season flower            maturity date is early November for plants grown in            Encinitas, Calif.        -   Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia            maintain good substance and bract color for about four weeks            under interior conditions.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 32 cm. Height (depth):            About 4 cm.        -   flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length,            largest bracts: About 15 cm. Width, largest bracts: About            12 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute.            Margin: Entire with occasional shallow lobing. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous; velvety. Aspect: Mostly            flat to recurving with development. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color: Developing and transitional bracts, upper            surface: 46A. Developing and transitional bracts, lower            surface: 53B. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface: 53B.            Fully expanded bracts, lower surface: Lighter than 53B.            Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Similar to flower bract            color. Bract petiole: Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: 185A.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About four. Diameter of            cyathia cluster: About 2 cm. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width:            About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature: 144B. Color,            mature: 144A. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: About one or            two. Size: About 2 mm by 4 mm. Color: 13A. Peduncle: Length:            About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength: Strong.            Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth; glabrous. Color:            144A. Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About six to ten.            Anther shape: Bi-lobed. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.            Anther color: 53A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color:            13B. Pistils: None observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    conditions.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER11403’, asillustrated and described.